The Top 7 Reasons Why you Fell Short in 2015.

“If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.” J.M. Power

1. You didn’t write down your to do’s

2. You didn’t have an accountability partner

3. You didn’t have enough mental fortitude

4. You were lazy and procrastinated

5. You didn’t take responsibility

6. You didn’t believe in yourself

7. You didn’t hang out with other Winners

1. You didn’t write down your to do’s

We have all heard that NOT writing down your to do’s or your goals is just merely a thought and doesn’t really exist. Objectives with the absence of action are just entertainment. We don’t really mean it when we don’t write it down or have it in front of us to see in which direction we need to go. You will ALWAYS miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretzky.

I really like the SMART goal method. Be Specific, not vague about your to do’s. Measurable, make sure you can measure or track your progress, Achievable, don’t aim too high that you cannot achieve it, or too low that you do achieve it, make sure it is challenging enough to push you forward. Realistic-are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goal, make sure it is in the realm of possibility. Time, give yourself a time deadline to reach your to-do or goal. Maybe start with a 30-day goal and reevaluate it after that so it is not too overwhelming.

Write them down or stick them on your mirror so you can SEE them every day and don’t make excuses for your lack of commitment to yourself. You have got to start somewhere right?

2.You didn’t have an accountability partner

If you struggle with being accountable to yourself, then find an accountability partner who will help guide and support you. Don’t use this as a crutch, self-motivation is a quality that should be cultivated for long-term success but a little external accountability can really do wonders for your self-esteem and confidence. If you really want to push yourself to the next level, join a mastermind group or hire a personal coach.

3.You didn’t have enough mental fortitude

If you are NOT achieving what you want in life, you may be lacking some mental fortitude and moxie. Most of us have been beaten down at some point in life, but it is our mental strength and courage that gets us back up to do it again. You never fail, you learn, learn a different way to approach something and if it doesn’t go right the first time or the second time, brush yourself off, pick yourself back up and start again, adjust and push forward. It is a skill you practice just like another other skill, don’t quit on yourself, you CAN do this.

4.You were lazy and procrastinated

Laziness and procrastination are forms of self-sabotage and resistance. These two things alone will kill your dreams and have you sitting in the same spot in front of the TV watching your favorite sitcoms over and over and over again. You can never get your time back, you may wake up at some point in life and you haven’t achieved anything. Change and transformation are a process, don’t let being lazy or procrastination thieve and rob you of your true ability to achieve the things you want in your life. With some adjustments, you can really do anything if you just commit and put your mind do it!

Don’t do it later, do it NOW. Fight the urge to put it off until a later date and it will become more natural and organic and you won’t have to fight so hard if you just get over your limitations and get on with it. Your goals are NOT going to achieve themselves!

5.You didn’t take responsibility

You MUST face yourself and be responsible. When something doesn’t go your way, whom do you blame? Your boss who gave you extra work and you had to stay late, your partner who kept you out late for their work function? The rain because it stopped you from going on that run you promised yourself that you would? You are 100% responsible for the choices you make, you do realize that don’t you? If you can own up to that very fact and reassess quickly and get back on track and know that it is up to you and you must stop blaming everyone else and everything else, your life will change and you will start achieving your goals.

Victim mentality is a sure way to NOT reach your objectives. If you are playing small and being a victim, you will want to reevaluate your mindset. The only person getting in the way of your dreams is YOU and what steps you haven’t been taking. Learn from your mistakes, own up to them, be responsible and don’t let fear stop you from doing what you say you want to do!

6.You didn’t believe in yourself

If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Dig deep and find that inner strength and confidence and get up and make your dreams happen. No one who ever did anything great ever gave up or when they were knocked down, they continued to get back up and did it again. Thomas Edison is a great example of someone who persisted despite every set back imaginable. It took him literally 10,000 times to figure out how to get his light bulb design to work. He said it’s 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. He wasn’t talented or superior, he just had a lot of moxie and a lot of drive to achieve what he did.

7.You didn’t hang out with other Winners

If you aren’t spending time with people who are achieving things in their life, you may want to not only reevaluate your standards for yourself and what it is you accept in your life. If you accept just flailing around and NOT achieving your goals and making excuses for them, then maybe you want to reevaluate that in yourself and do some serious self-reflection and reconsider those with whom you spend a lot of time if they aren’t winning in life either. Jim Rohn said you are the sum average of the 5 people with whom you spend the most time. So if you aren’t spending time with the shakers and movers, you may want to readjust and UP your average!

So basically, you are who you hang out with. This can be a difficult thing to accept but if you are going to WIN in life, you are going to have to make those hard decisions. Despite some exceptions, you act in accordance with the people you associate with. This can be challenging but in the long run, you will be so glad you took inventory of yourself, your life and who exactly you allow in it.

We get in our own way when it comes to achieving the things we want in life and start to sabotage our own success. You have to start somewhere, so why not NOW? Give yourself another shot at setting some goals for yourself and WHY you want to achieve those things. Leverage can be an important component of goal achievement. If your WHY is strong enough, you will be amazed at how much you can actually accomplish.

Don’t ever give up on yourself, you CAN do this.
Make 2016 a year of progress and a year of SUCCESS!